ivy Council
had been, and obtained the birth-brieve in an Act of that year, which
was passed, as it states, in order that "this illustrious and noble
family of Colbert may be restored to us their friends and to their
native country," and which declared that the family came from the
south of Scotland, took their name from St. Cuthbert (pronounced, says
the Act, by the Scotch Culbert, though "soaftened" by the French into
Colbert), and received their arms for their valour in the battle of
Harlaw.

The link between the Scotch Cuthberts and the French Colberts, thus
attested by Act of Parliament, may or may not be fabulous, but it was
a link of gold to many members of the family of Castlehill, who
emigrated to France, and were advanced into high positions through the
interest of their French connections. One of these was the present
Abbe, who had come over in 1750 a boy of fourteen, was now at
twenty-eight Vicar-General of Toulouse, and was in 1781 made Bishop of
Rodez. As Bishop he distinguished himself by the work he did for the
improvement of agriculture and industry in his diocese, and, as member
of the States General in 1789, he became the hero of the hour in Paris
and was carried shoulder-high through the streets for proposing the
union of the clergy with the Third Estate. When the Civil Constitution
of the clergy was declared he refused to submit, and returning to this
country, spent the remainder of his days here as Secretary to Louis
XVIII.

It would appear from the Abbe's first letter that Smith had either
brought with him from Paris an introduction to the Archbishop of
Toulouse, or that Hume had asked his cousin to give him one. This
Archbishop--who was so desirous to make Hume's acquaintance--was the
celebrated Lomenie de Brienne, afterwards Cardinal and Minister of
France, who was thought at this time, Walpole says, to be the ablest
man in the Gallican Church, and was pronounced by Hume to be the only
man in France capable of restoring the greatness of the kingdom. When
he obtained the opportunity he signally falsified Hume's
prognostication, and did much to precipitate the Revolution by his
incapacity. Smith must no doubt have met him occasionally during his
protracted sojourn at Toulouse, though we have no evidence that he
did, and the Archbishop was rather notorious for his absence from his
see. If he did meet his Grace he would have found him as advanced an
economist as himself, for having been a college